Drew Brees Contract

Drew Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract on March 16, 2020, with the New Orleans Saints. He was someone who contemplated retirement after a 26-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wild-card round last season. In the 2020 season, Brees had a base salary of $2 million which will jump to $25 million in 2021. Brees who was the no. 32 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, is among the select few quarterbacks who have started in their 40s in the history of the NFL. Brees has set the all-time records in passing yards (78,422) and touchdowns (555). Brees has led the NFL in passing yards seven times and TD passes four times, and last year was his first season since turning 40. On January 15, Brees turned 42, and it’s his 20th NFL season, one in which he dealt with 11 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. There has been a lot of speculation about Brees retiring after this season, mostly because of the injuries he dealt with in 2020. The Super Bowl XLIV MVP, Brees has six more career touchdown passes than Tom Brady with 547. Brees, who came into the league one year after Brady, also has about 3,000 more passing yards than Brady. 

According to reports, following his retirement, Brees will be reportedly joining NBC, who won the bidding war for Brees in April last year, over Fox and ESPN. The reports state that Brees has been lined up by NBC to be a game analyst on the Notre Dame broadcasts of the network, on Saturdays and then on Sundays, a studio analyst for NBC's "Football Night in America". 

What is Drew Brees’ current contract?

According to Drew brees’ contract, it is a two-year, $50 million deal with the New Orleans Saints which he signed on March 16, 2020. Brees’ new contract includes a $25,000,000 amount guaranteed and an average annual salary of $25,000,000. Brees has a base salary of $2 million this season which in 2021 will turn to $25,000,000 while carrying a cap hit of $36,150,000 and a dead cap value of $22,650,000. Brees would be an unrestricted free agent in 2022. The cap hit of $36.15 million which the Saints would take if they released Brees, indicates that it's a good bet he plays at least one more season before contemplating retirement again.

Current Contract

Thus, we can understand from the table that $25M will be fully guaranteed (signing bonus + 2020 salary). The 2020 Roster Bonus is $23M (paid by 23/3/2020, fully guaranteed, treated as a signing bonus). 2022-2023 are void years ($11.5M dead cap) and are void on the last day of the 2021 league year. The contract has a no-trade and no-tag clause. 

Drew Brees’ Contract With the Saints

The Saints decided to bring back the 41-Yr old future Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever play at a relative bargain, earlier in 2020. Brees announced that he was returning for a 20th NFL season, and that would definitely be with the New Orleans Saints. He has been with the Saints since 2006. Prior to this, he played for the San Diego Chargers. The quarterback's new contract with the Saints is for 2 years at a total of $50 million dollars. The deal includes a signing bonus of $23 million. In 2020, Brees counted $23.65 million against the Saints salary cap, a number far lower than several other quarterbacks throughout the league. In 2021, his cap hit will escalate to $36.15 million if the quarterback does elect to play beyond this season barring any further renegotiations. During the 2022 season, the Saints will earn $11.5 million in dead cap space, once this deal of Brees expires. It is a no-trade and no tag clause contract. Till now with the Saints, Brees has had an earning of $259,250,000, since signing with them in 2006 as a free agent. 

How many years does Drew Brees have left on his contract?

As per reports, Drew Brees and the Saints agreed to terms on a two-year, $50 million contract. An all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes for the NFL, Brees has at least two years left in him. The 42-year-old signal-caller is coming off of his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season. Despite missing five games with a hand injury last season, Brees led the NFL in completion percentage for the third consecutive year and for the sixth time in his career. While leading the Saints to an NFC South division title, he also threw 27 touchdowns against just four interceptions. 

Is Drew Brees staying with the Saints?

Even though Brees was set to become an unrestricted free agent, the New Orleans Saints quarterback said that he planned to remain with the organization. In an interview, he mentioned he doesn't care what the offer would be or what the situation might be. He was quoted saying ‘I am Who Dat Nation for life". He has been with the Saints since 2006 and has played there ever since. 

Drew Brees’ contract history

April 21, 2001

Drafted by San Diego (SD): Round 2 (#32 overall)

August 7, 2001

Signed a 4 year $3.6 million contract with San Diego (SD)

March 4, 2005

Signed a 1 year $8.078 million franchise tag with San Diego (SD)

March 14, 2006

Signed a 6 year $60 million contract with New Orleans (NO)

March 3, 2012

Offered a 1 year $16.371 million exclusive franchise tag with New Orleans (NO)

July 13, 2012

Signed a 5 year $100 million contract with New Orleans (NO)

September 30, 2015

Converted $5.2 million of his 2015 salary into a bonus, creating $2.6M in cap space for New Orleans (NO)

September 7, 2016

Signed a 1 year $24.25 million extension with New Orleans (NO)

March 13, 2018

Signed a 2 year $50 million contract with New Orleans (NO)

March 14, 2019

Converted $4.25M of salary & an $11.95M roster bonus into signing bonus, clearing $10.8M of cap

March 17, 2020

Signed a 2 year $50 million contract extension with New Orleans (NO)